Saturday, August 11, 2018

PDEA: Corrupt BOC men allowed entry of shabu

Shabu traces were found inside the magnetic lifters at a warehouse inside CRS Subdivision in Barangay F. Reyes, General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite on Friday, Aug. 10, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency / photo from GMA News

Manila, Philippines - Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
(PDEA) director general Aaron Aquino said on Saturday that some people in the
Bureau of Customs (BOC) are conspiring with the drug syndicate that brought a
ton of shabu worth P6.8 billion into the country.

Aquino believes that BOC chief Isidro Lapeña was unaware
of this illegal activity of some of his men.

“An international drug syndicate will never gamble in
bringing illegal drugs here if they don’t have contacts within the Customs who
will help facilitate the entry,” the PDEA director said in a phone interview,
but did not give further details.

Aquino pointed out that it was impossible for the X-ray
machines not to detect the narcotics inside the containers.

“Those X-ray machines should have the capability (to
detect drugs). If they don’t, then we should buy new equipment,” he said.

Agents of PDEA found traces of shabu on Friday in several
magnetic lifters they seized at a warehouse in Barangay Francisco Reyes in
General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite.

The PDEA chief said that since magnetic lifters were already
empty when they got it, a ton of shabu could be on its way now to the streets
of Metro Manila.

Aquino expressed grief that PDEA’s efforts were nothing as illegal
drugs continued to arrive in tons but they could only seize by the grams in
their usual operations, with his men and members of the Philippine National
Police (PNP) risking their lives.

“We seize around five grams in an operation but the drugs
entering are by the ton, so what’s the use of our efforts?” he said.*

Aquino said that there are 11 Chinese out of 19 persons are
being linked to this Cavite shabu shipment, though the list does not include
any BOC personnel.

“Hopefully, at the end we will be able to find out the
others who are involved, aside from the 19 persons of interest,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a press briefing, Lapeña also lamented
PDEA’s failure to share information with the BOC.

“I would like to state on record that paramount in
increasing our effectiveness in carrying out our mandate of border protection
in the suppression and prevention of smuggling of any commodity is the timely
receipt of intelligence information from the lead agencies primarily tasked to
eliminate illegal drugs in the country, and the close coordination with proper
authorities between agencies,” the BOC chief said.

“Our mechanisms are in place, and consistent with my policy
to verify all derogatory information received, I would have immediately alerted
all those shipments and, if necessary, the entire port to prevent the release
of illegal drugs. Since my assumption, the Bureau of Customs conducted
intensified and relentless efforts against any form of smuggling,” he added.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that concerned
authorities are now coordinating with their foreign counterparts to locate the
origin of the latest shabu shipment.